Carton-support



W. E. SWIFT CARTON SUPPORT.

APPLICATION-FILED MAY 16, 1919.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD SWIFT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATESENVELOPE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CARTON-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application filed May 16, 1919. Serial No. 297,591.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD E. SWIFT, a citizen of the United States,residing at WVorcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement 1nCarton-Supports, of which the following, together with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide a metallic support fora carton, particularly for cartons inclosing a stack. of drinking cups,although my improved support may be employed as a support for cartonsfor other uses.

The accompanying drawings represent a preferred form of my cartonsupport, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective vlew of my improvedcarton support showing a car ton held therein.

Fig. 2 represents a side view of the same, partly shown in section todlsclose the method of holding the carton in its support.

Fig. 3 is a view of the inner side of-the lower portion of the cartonsupport, the carton having been removed.

Fig. 4 represents the rear side of the lower portion of a carton removedfrom its suport. p Similar reference characters refer to similar arts inthe different figures.

y improved carton support consists of a sheet metal case 1 open upon itsfront side to allow a carton to be inserted. The case 1 comprises a back2 and sides 3, 3, which have their edges curved outwardly as shown at 4,4, Fig. 1. The bottom of the case is provided with a flange 5 extendlngforwardly between the sides 3, 3. The front of the case between thesides 3, 3, is left open and the curvature of the edges of the sides 3,3, facilitates the insertion of a carton. The back 2 is provided withscrew holes 6, by which the case may be attached to a vertical wall.Portions of the back 2 are slit and bent inwardly, as shown at 7, 7,Figs. 2 and 3, forming hooks for the engagement of the carton. The rearor back side of the carton is provided with openings 8 for the receptionof the hooks 7. The carton 9 1s placed in position by the insertlon of1ts rear edge between the sides 3, 3 with the tips of the hooks 7, 7,entering the openings 8 1n the carton. The carton is then slippeddownwardly upon the hooks until its lower end rests upon the flange 5.Cartons may be supported in thecase for display or other purposes.

My improved carton support is,.however, especially adapted forsupporting cardboard cartons containing a stack of drinking cups and,when the carton is used for that purpose, it is provided with notches 10and 11 to enable the lowermost cup to be seized and withdrawn through aslot 12 in the lower corner of the carton. The case 1 affords'asubstantial support for a carton of considerable weight, as the weightof the carton and its contents is received by the flange 5, while thesides 3, 3, prevent the lateral displacement of the carton incident tothe withdrawal of drinking cups through the slit 12. Any strainthereforeoccasioned by rough usage of the carton is thereby avoided.

The supporting case is preferably made of sheet steel which issufficientl elastic to impart a spring effect to the sides 3, 3. Thewidth of the back 2 is exactly the thickness of the carton to beinserted and each of the sides 3, 3 are bent at slightly less than aright angle with the back, so that when a carton is inserted, as shownin Fig. 1,, the sides 3, 3, which are straight between the back and thecurved edges, will be pressed apart and contact with the sides of thecarton, as shown in Fig. 1. The outwardly bent edges of'the sides, asshown at 4, 4, enable the sides 3, 3, to be forced apart by theinsertion of the carton which then becomes 1 pinched between the sides3, 3, causing the carton to be securely held against any lateraldeflection, thereby relieving the carton of any injurious strains uponthe hooks 7, -7. The use of two hooks 7, 7 near the ends of the cartonlikewise tends to'relieve the hooks from strain, due to a lateraldeflection of the lower end of the carton incident to the withdrawal ofdrinking cups. As the sides 3, 3 are open at the top, the carton isreadily removable by sliding the carton upwardly to clear the hooks 7.The flange 5, as shown in Fig. 3, is shorter than the space between thesides 3, 3 to allow the sides to be compressed to form a slightly acuteangle with the back before the carton is inserted.

I claim,

1. A support for a removable carton, comprising a resilient sheet metalcase provided with a back of the same width as the back of a carton,and'having sides integral with the back and at an angle therewith, lessthan a right angle,- with outwardly curved edges to permit a carton tobe forced between their edges and against said back, and meansindependent of said sides to limit the downward movement of thecarton,with said sides open at the top to permit the removal of the carton.

2. A support for a removable carton, comprising a sheet metal casehaving a back of the same width as the thickness of the earton,resilient metal sides integral with the back and normally forming anangle with the back slightly less than a right angle, whereby the sideswill be pressed apart by the insertion of a carton between them, and aflange at the lower end of the support at right angles to the back, withthe ends of said flange spaced from said sides.

3. A support for a removable carton, comprising a resilient sheet metalcase having a back of the same width as the thickness of the carton,sides integral with the back and normally forming an angle with the backslightly less than a right angle, whereby said sides will'be slightlyseparated by the insertion of a carton between them, a fiange at thelower end of said back with its ends spaced from said sides, said sideshaving their edges turned outwardly to facilitate the insertion of acarton.

4. A support for a removable carton, comprising a case of resilientsheet metal, having Dated this 7th day of May, 1919.

WILLARD E. SWIFT.

Witnesses NELLIE WHALEN, PENELOPE COMBERBACH.

